{ “Refurbish Our Fleet” – Report from the Countdown }

As I write this, there are 42 hours left in Missouri River Relief’s IndieGoGo campaign. I helped them start it. We’ve raised more than $10,000—enough to replace one van that’s in the worst shape—and for that I’m grateful. I have a lot to reflect on how we could have made it better, raised that extra $20,000. Put another volunteer in charge while one is teaching at a summer camp, for starters. Cough, cough. That would be me.

For now, I’ll say, there’s still time to raise $20,000. If the four readers of this blog donated just $5,000, we’d make it there in no time! You can visit the campaign page for more details, but here’s the situation in brief:

Our vehicles have more than 1.5 million miles on them. We’d already raised about $55,000 from donors to replace the first couple of trucks, but they’re honestly all in bad shape. We turned to our supporters for help. And that’s where you can come in.

If you read this blog for a while, you know the kind of impact this organization has had on my life. They help elevate my purpose, so I’m not just picking up trash by myself, but I’m helping facilitate education and service opportunities for others. They make a meaningful difference in the trash load on the river. And most importantly, the staff and crew have become like family: they’re my camping friends, my source of soul-baring talk, my people who will drive down to Jeff City for all kinds of ridiculous parties. I care about them dearly, and I want them safe on the road.

So, please donate if you can, and come to a cleanup regardless. See you on the river!